Improvement in horse-hakes



@gaat dieter cV @tutti G. W.y MIDDLECOFF, OF ATLANTA, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR 'IO HIM- SELF AND A. MCR. BLAIN, OF SAME PLACE.

Leners Patent No. 89,160, dated April 2o. 1869.

IIVIIPRO'V'IElWENTv IN HORSE-RAKES.

The Schedule referred to in these Letters Patent and making part of the same.l

To all whom 'it may concern Beit known that I, G. W. MIDDLECOFF, of Atlanta, in'the county of Logan, and vState of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Hay-Gath- 'erers; and I do herebydeelare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, which will enable others skilled in the art to make anduse the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawing and letters marked thereon,making a part of this description, in which- Figure l isa perspective representation of my inven-v tion.

The present invention relates to an improvement in that class of farm implements which are used more especially for taking hay from windrows and cocks and drawing it to a stack, or other place, where it is to be stored, and its nature will be fully understood by the following detailed description.

h h, 85e., represent the teeth of an ordinary hay-rake, which are securely bolted or fastened to the under side of crss-pieces A B.

At the head of the rake is a series of standards, fj, tenoned into the cross-piece B, and also into a cap, O, the end standards f being securely braced by means of pieces of smallscantling, D, the lower ends of which are permanently fixed to the cross-piece A, hold the cap C rigidly in place, as it is against any draught of hay; and the braces S- being secured to the teeth h h and the cross-pieces A B, so strengthen` the rake as to prevent the teeth from turning on the bolts with'which they are held in place.

The devices for operating the rake consist of ropes L, fastened to the end teeth at N N, pass through metal loops K, and terminate in loops R; and ropes `M, which are fastened to loops' R, pass back through thevloops K and are fastened to chains E, said chains drawing the. rake from under a draught of hay without straining the standards and loosening the braces D.

Athe ropes, when the rake is moved backward; and from this, it will be seen that the ropes M exert their force in the same manner upon the braces D, as they do when the rake is moved forward, the loops K being the rst points of resistance, and transferring the draught points to the ends of the cross-piece A, instead ofthe points N J, on the teeth and standards f, as when the rake is moved forward.

ing the ropes M L in position relative to each other, and preventing hay from so disarranging them as to change the line of draught'.

The operation is very simple, requiring only that a horse be hitched to each of the loops R, and the rake or gatherer be moved forward until a load of hay has load, to'a stack, or place where the hay is to be stored.

During the act of iilling the gatherer with hay', it is quite necessaryto have the teeth h run close to the ground, but after it is loaded this is not the case, and to so change the ,line of draught as to prevent the teeth from catching, the chains E should be let out one or more links on the'hooks J, as the case may require. y

This adjustment may be also necessary when gathering hay on inclined places.

Having thus described my invention,

What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent o f the United States, is-

A hay-gatherer, consisting of the teeth h, crosscombination with ropes M L, chains E, and loops K, as set forth.

G. W. MIDDLEOOFF. Witnesses:

A. MOR. BLAIN, Bum. BEAN.

The dotted lines x represent the position of one of The loops K perform the additional function of hold-v been accumulated, after which it is drawn, with itsV pieces A B, braces S D, standards j', and cap O, in 

